Page:Lange - The Blue Fairy Book.djvu/373

 The year after, it was Cinderlad’s turn, but when he made ready to go the others laughed at him, and mocked him. ‘Well, you are just the right one to watch the hay, you who have never learnt anything but how to sit among the ashes and bake yourself!’ said they. Cinderlad, however, did not trouble himself about what they said, but when evening drew near rambled away to the outlying field. When he got there he went into the barn and lay down, but in about an hour’s time the rumbling and creaking began, and it was frightful to hear it. ‘Well, if it gets no worse than that, I can manage to stand it,’ thought Cinderlad. In a little time the creaking began again, and the earth quaked so that all the hay flew about the boy. ‘Oh! if it gets no worse than that I can manage to stand it,’ thought Cinderlad. But then came a third rumbling, and a third earthquake, so violent that the boy thought the walls and roof had fallen down, but when that was over everything suddenly grew as still as death around him. ‘I am pretty sure that it will come again,’ thought Cinderlad; but no, it did not. Everything was quiet, and everything stayed quiet, and when he had lain still a short time he heard something that sounded as if a horse were standing chewing just outside the barn door. He stole away to the door, which was ajar, to see what was there, and a horse was standing eating.



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